


The Summer Before - Part 1

by bluetoast



Series: Angels and Ministers of Grace [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Broken Bones, F/M, Family, Skywalker Family Feels, adorable children, car crash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 02:33:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8353495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluetoast/pseuds/bluetoast
Summary: It was just another summer afternoon on the Skywalker farm. The weather was nice and not much was going on. That was before Luke received a phone call from a hospital in Chicago. HC Bingo Prompt - Unconsciousness





	

**Author's Note:**

> While this is the fifth part of this series, chronologically, it comes first. The reason I haven't moved it to spot #1 is - reasons.

There were five children in the Skywalker clan, and only two of them, the second oldest and the youngest were actually related by blood. Not that anyone would be foolish enough to think that a silly thing like _blood_ mattered in their family. Ranging in age from seventeen to nine, the three girls and two boys were almost never seen outside of school individually, they stuck together in a way that their classmates and friends with siblings couldn't quite fathom. Anna, Elijah, Daisy, Liam, and Elisa were often remarked as being such a wonderfully diverse family, patched together by their parents, Luke and Mara, who had plucked four of their five children from the Upper Great Plains Child Protective Services Department. The eldest, Anna, had been adopted by her parents from an orphanage in Mumbai. 

Anna couldn't remember India, she'd been two years old when mom and dad came for her, but she'd heard the story of their long flight from Mumbai to Chicago enough times that she sometimes thought she _could_ remember it. Exhausted from the journey and the ordeal in India, she'd been set in the middle seat of their row, flanked by her parents, left to watch _Mulan_ while the two of them dozed off and on, woken by bouts of turbulence and the meals. She'd watched the movie _five_ times during their flight, in between sleeping and eating. She didn't remember arriving on the farm at all, but she did remember the day she had sat in the tractor with her dad while he harvested soybeans, and the great sea of green that seemed to stretch out to either side of them, endless and open. She could drive that tractor herself now, and while she had gotten older and knew that they didn't go on forever, the fields of green and gold would always be the sea. 

Elijah and Elisa came from Rapid City. They had come to the farm when they were seven and three. Of the five, Elijah had had the hardest time adapting to his new home. Mainly in that he no longer had to be the sole protector of his little sister. He could clearly remember climbing out of that minivan, after a car ride that had gone on forever – and stopping in front of a long one story house, with sturdy looking swing set in the side yard and a strange tank on the other side that he would later learn held propane. He had looked up into the faces of Luke and Mara Skywalker and remained on guard against them – and then came Anna. Only two years older than him, she'd hugged both him and his sister and asked if they wanted to go see the animals. The only part of that he remembered was the three of them climbing onto the back of Penny, an old horse that had, like them, been rescued. When he'd seen the delighted look on his baby sister's face as they rode around the barn yard, he knew that he never wanted them to leave.

Daisy was the only child in the Skywalker family who could have passed as the biological child of their parents. With her blonde hair, pale skin and blue eyes – she was clearly the one who was 'not like the others' and really, she didn't care. Of course, she was always quick to correct anyone who thought that she _was_ biologically related, when she had in fact, come from Grand Forks, North Dakota. Two years younger than Elijah, she had come to the farm at age six, in the middle of winter. All she brought with her from her old life was a battered copy of _Little House in the Big Woods,_ although she could barely read. She had been led into the house and had taken in the sight of three other children, all with dark hair and dark eyes – decorating for Christmas, which had been two weeks away at the time. Her little sister Elisa had pressed an ornament, a crocheted snowflake, into her palm, and insisted she come help. Her first Christmas with the Skywalkers was also the first one she ever celebrated. 

Liam was eleven months younger than Daisy. He'd arrived at the end of summer, just before school started when he was ten. After years of being in the system in Sioux Falls, wondering just what was wrong with him, he suddenly found himself in the middle of nowhere as the fifth (but not youngest) child to a family that was unlike any he'd ever seen, outside of television. What really had thrilled him were the bunk beds in his and Elijah's room. His brother had told him he got to pick which one he wanted, and he'd claimed the top bunk. After that, he'd been taken around on a tour of the farm by all of his siblings, insisting that he see _everything,_ from the barn to the fields – and he'd jokingly called them the _Skywalker Posse,_ a name that ended up sticking and applying to the five of them. That night they had roasted hotdogs over a fire outside and he'd gotten to stargaze for the first time in his life. Something he still did, even in the bitterly cold winter.

Elisa was a lot like Anna, in that she didn't remember her life from before. She knew not to ask Elijah, because he made it clear that there was nothing good back there. Her earliest memory of the family together was being on her dad's shoulders at the Dakota State Fair and riding a bright blue horse on the carousel, mom standing at her side, her hand pressed into her back to keep her still and upright. Now, at age nine, she felt that she and her oldest sister were lucky in a way that the others weren't – they didn't remember anything bad, they just remembered being here, in South Dakota, with mom and dad. 

They had one cousin, Ben, whom they saw about every other year. Only Anna had met his parents, their Aunt Leia and Uncle Han. Their interaction with the Solo family consisted of impersonal birthday cards with twenty dollar bills tucked inside. Their cousin was a bit more in touch than his parents, but that could be because just like he was their only cousin, they were his only cousins. He lived in Chicago, and was always sending them postcards. He never sent it to them as a group, but one for each of them. 

The Skywalkers lived just south of De Smet, and several times every summer, it was inevitable that a minivan or SUV would wander down their long drive, out on a Laura Ingalls Wilder expedition. They always seemed surprised to find modern farm equipment instead of hand plows. Last summer the five of them had erected a rather official looking sign that read “Laura Ingalls kissed Almanzo Wilder here.” and stuck it halfway between their house and the highway. It remained their single greatest prank to date, and they managed to escape punishment by informing the local historical society that their claim could not be proven to be truth or a lie. Their parents had kept straight faces until they were all in the car together and then they'd been in hysterics. 

Luke had taken a picture of his children gathered around the sign, posted it to Facebook to the _Little House on the Prairie_ Fan Society group, and it promptly went viral. 

*

Daisy was the only one in the house when the phone rang. It was June, a busy month on the farm, and it was her turn to make dinner. Lunch was the term used at school, but nearly half the students called it dinner anyway. She turned the heat down on the stove as the phone rang again and she picked up the handset, hoping this wasn't another stupid political call. “Hello, Skywalker residence, may I help you?”

“Good afternoon, this is Peter Andover, I'm calling from University Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.” She rolled her eyes at his statement and formal speaking. Like there was any other Chicago. “I need to speak with Luke Skywalker, please.” 

There was only one person Dad knew in Chicago that a hospital would call him about. “What's wrong with Ben? What's happened to my cousin?” She saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned to see Liam standing just inside the doorway, leaning in from the mud room. She lowered the phone so she could address him, “run and get Dad! Something's happened to Ben!” She turned her attention back to the phone. “Is my cousin okay, Mr Andover?” She saw her brother take off, racing for the barn.

The whole demeanor changed in the man's voice. “Your dad is listed as the emergency contact, I can only speak directly to him.” 

“Just tell me if he's okay. You don't have to tell me what happened, just if he's okay.” She hiccuped. “Please.” 

The man took a breath. “Mr Solo is going to be just fine, Miss Skywalker. But it really would be best if I spoke to your dad.” 

Daisy's mind raced, trying to think just what sort of danger her cousin could be in. Had he been hurt at work? Did he get mugged? No – no one would mug her bear of a cousin, not unless they were seven feet tall – or had a gun. People got shot all the time in Chicago, she'd seen it on the news. She kept her focus on the window, and let out a relieved sigh when she saw her dad emerge, racing faster than she thought he could run. “He's coming, Mr Andover, he's outside and it's kind of a big yard. We live on a farm.” 

“That's perfectly all right, Miss Skywalker.” The man answered, sounding slightly amused. 

“Daisy.” Dad came in, hand out for the phone and she handed it to him, backing away towards the sink, as Liam gave her an uncertain look, worrying his bottom lip. “This is Luke Skywalker.” They could only hear one side of the conversation, but given how ashen their dad went, she knew it had to be bad. “Is he stable?” He looked over at them. “That's good then. What happened?” He stepped towards the counter and started writing on a tablet. “Did you get a hold of my sister?” 

She went back to the stove, knowing that she had to keep herself occupied and a moment later, she saw Liam wash his hands, and then got a bag of salad out of the fridge and removed the big plastic bowl from the drying rack next to the sink.

“I can't be there any earlier that tomorrow morning.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Can I get the direct number of the ICU?” He mumbled something, and Daisy looked away from her dad and down into the pot of Swedish meatballs she'd been working on, turning the heat back up slightly to bring the sauce to a simmer. “Please tell him when he wakes up that I'm coming.” She wasn't sure how long of a drive that was, or even if dad was going to drive the distance. When Grandma came to visit, she flew from Chicago to Sioux Falls, and then a two hour drive back here. Where was he even going to stay in the city? She got out another pot and filled it with water, setting it to boil as she grabbed two packages of instant potatoes from the pantry. “No, Ben doesn't have any allergies.”

“What's going on?” Elijah whispered as he came into the kitchen. “Something wrong with Ben?”

“He's in the hospital.” Liam muttered and through the window, they saw Elisa coast slowly into the dirt on her bike, the mail sticking out of the basket. “We don't know anything.”

“Thank you for calling me.” Dad's voice caused all of them to stop and turn. “I'll be there as soon as I can.” He hung up the phone, and looked the three of them over. “Ben's been in a car accident. He's going to be just fine, but they couldn't get a hold of your aunt and uncle.” His expression became grave. “I'm going to go talk to your mother, and we'll discuss this during dinner. The best thing we can do for Ben is to remain calm.” He turned and walked out of the kitchen, and they heard Elisa greet him before the door shut with a loud thump. 

“What's wrong with Dad?” Elisa looked the three of them over as she set the mail down. “Are we all in trouble?”

“Ben was in an accident.” Elijah answered for the rest of them. “We don't know much, just that he's in the hospital.” 

“Is he going to be okay?” she washed her hands and then got the silverware out. “I mean, he's not hurt real bad, is he?”

“He's going to be okay.” Daisy repeated their father's words. “Ben's tough. Maybe he just broke his leg really bad and has to stay in the hospital. Dad is probably going just so there's someone there.”

“Why can't Aunt Leia go?” Liam interjected. “I mean, she's his _mom_.” The other three looked at each other, doing a poor job of repressing chuckles. The newest member of the Skywalker family hadn't learned all the ins and outs of the relationships, but even Elisa knew that things in the Solo family were almost the exact opposite of theirs. “What's so funny?” 

“Aunt Leia.” Elijah got plates down from the cupboard and set them on the counter so his sister could put them on the table. “If she went to Chicago, she'd be more concerned about what the label on Ben's underwear was rather than the rest of his condition.” 

“Why would the label of his underwear matter?” He'd only met their cousin a month ago, when Elijah graduated from eighth grade. 

“Aunt Leia is really weird.” Daisy tore open the packages of potatoes, dropping the contents into the water. “Dad says she suffers from misplaced priorities, but anyone who tells her regrets it. I mean, she won't even listen to _grandma.”_

Anna came into the kitchen, looking ashen. “Dad told me about Ben. I think it might be worse than what he told you.” 

“He hasn't told us anything, other than he's in the hospital and that he's going to be okay.” Liam took the bowl of salad to the table. “Maybe Mom can tell Aunt Leia off on Ben's behalf.” 

“Like that would do any good.” The eldest Skywalker child stated. “Come on, let's get dinner on the table before they get in. Save us some time.” She offered Daisy a smile. “Smells great, sis.” 

*

Ben Solo was awash in pain. He remembered a flash of green, and the absolute stricken look of a man with brown hair and glasses, right before he fell backwards, and the shrill scream of a woman, who he was certain couldn't be Gwen, who lived upstairs. No way could that Amazon make a noise like that. But he'd seen her face wavering above him, her eyes wide with panic. Then it went black, until he had come around, freezing in the ER, awake only for a moment to register a nurse wearing Doctor Who scrubs before falling back under. 

He was still in a haze, and his mind drifted through the pain to rest on the thought that he couldn't die. He wasn't about to die – he couldn't do that to his friends. Not after what they had been through. Three members of their circle had already gone to an early grave, half of their group. Dying was out of the question. He couldn't do that to Jen and Nate. 

Someone was standing to his left, humming, and there was a faint clicking sound, and came a rush of sweet relief; a pain killer. Ben let himself drift into sleep, not certain whom he wanted to see when he next opened his eyes. 

*

Mara Skywalker looked across the table to her husband, unsurprised that their kids were silent, waiting for him to begin. The idea that her nephew was injured and alone right now made her stomach clench. There was a faint rattle of cutlery as they all served themselves food, and when all the food had been passed around, Luke cleared his throat. 

“Ben's in the ICU at the University of Illinois Medical Center. The man on the phone has assured me that he's going to be fine.” He looked his family over. “He was hit by a car. He has a broken leg, six broken ribs, and a fractured shoulder. Those are the worst of his injuries. I'll know more when I get to Chicago.” 

She took a drink of water, noting the looks on all her children's faces, and saw Liam grimace. She didn't blame him. 

“Anna.” Luke was speaking again, and the girl lifted her gaze from her plate.

“Yes, Dad?” She swallowed hard, and shot a look over at Mara. 

“Since your mother and I aren't about to leave the five of you here alone, you're going to come with me to Chicago.” He held up his hand before any of the others could put a word in. “this isn't favoritism, but Anna is one of only three people in this family who can drive – legally.” This was directed at Elijah, who had a slight smirk on his face. “We shouldn't be gone long, just until Ben's able to leave the hospital.” He picked up his fork. “We're going to leave before the end of the afternoon.” 

The girl nodded in response. “Should I pack for like, a week?”

“Two. You won't need much.” He turned his attention to his food.

“Are Uncle Han and Aunt Leia going to be there?” Elijah spoke up. “I mean,” 

“I don't believe they will.” Mara poked at her salad, the wretched, nagging feeling making itself known in her stomach again. “I have no idea where your aunt is, and your uncle is probably somewhere in the North Sea right now. Cell service is deplorable there.” 

“Do we have time to make Ben cards before you leave?” Elisa put in. “Since we can't go?”

“I think Ben would like that.” Mara replied, smiling.

“I'll take care of your calf while you're gone, Anna.” Daisy offered. “I mean, don't you have a title to defend at the state fair in August?” 

“Thanks, Das.” She turned her attention to eating. 

Mara didn't look up from her food, thankful that bedlam hadn't broken out at the table. “I'll let your mother know what's going on, Luke.” 

“Thank you.” He answered, letting out a breath. “Don't let her panic, all right?” 

“I won't.” She speared a cherry tomato on her fork. “Although I think it'd probably be best if she called Leia, I don't trust myself to do it.” 

“Mom, it's not like we don't hear people cussing out in public.” Liam remarked. “I mean, we know better than to repeat it. And we won't video tape it and put it up on You Tube either.” 

Elijah snorted. “yeah, but mom doesn't need to lose her voice and what's to stop Aunt Leia from hanging up the phone? I mean, she won't care if she hangs up on mom, but she hung up on grandma, she'd be _toast.”_

“Your grandmother is not that frightening.” Luke interjected from the head of the table, causing all six of them to turn and stare at him, and then his stern look broke. “All right, maybe she is.” 

The conversation dissolved into laughter.

*

Ben felt like he was treading water as he woke up. He wasn't in pain as much as he was confused. He only seemed to be able to open one eye; his left one. His face felt horribly stiff; and he couldn't figure that out any better than his one eye working. The odd thing was, the majority of his left side felt numb, and he flexed the fingers of his hand, not even certain if they moved or not. When he did the same on the right, he felt something taped to his index finger. A pulse monitor, probably. 

“You awake there, Ben?” A face appeared over his. Pale blond hair, dark blue eyes, and he managed a weak smile, he wasn't ready to talk. “You've had yourself a fourteen hour nap.” Gwen gave him a smile in response. His upstairs neighbor had a look of concern. “I've only been here for the past three. It took me that long to convince the nurses to let me in. They said family only, so I said I was your cousin on your father's side.” She gave him a wink. “if you want to go back to sleep, it's fine.” Her hand came up and brushed the side of his face, and he let out a relived whine. “Your uncle's supposed to be here in about five hours. I found his number on your cell, I hope you don't mind.” 

He shook his head slightly, and then closed his eyes. Uncle Luke lived nearly eleven hours away by car. He was on his way here and it was bittersweet; as happy as he was to have family who was willing to come, at the same time, he had to wonder what the doctors and nurses thought of him here, and his parents not. Maybe they were already here and Gwen was sparing him. No, no they couldn't be – or on their way. Not if Uncle Luke was coming. “Hurts.” 

“I should say so.” Gwen snickered. “In case you're wondering why you can only open one eye, the eyelid of the other is taped down so you don't pull the stitches on the bridge of your nose.” 

Fuck, what all was wrong with him?

“Don't worry, you're going to be fine.” He felt her grasp his left hand. “I'll make sure Ayra gets fed while you're in here.” 

“Thanks.” He mumbled, letting himself slip back under. Sleep was just the only thing he wanted right now. His poor cat was probably meowing pitifully through the apartment right now, wondering where the hell he was. Maybe Gwen could smuggle her into the hospital later this week. 

*

“Anna, wake up.” Her dad's voice was quiet, but insistent. “We're there, honey, rise and shine.” 

“Nn... rise, but no shine.” She answered, sitting up and rubbing her face. “What time is it?” 

“Five fifteen.” Her dad covered a yawn and then she heard the passing of the L, somewhere in front of them. She opened her eyes and found they were in a parking garage. He unbuckled his seat belt.“Since Ben's in the ICU and not the general part of the hospital, we don't have to worry about visitor's hours so much.” 

“Right.” She picked up her backpack from the floor in front of her and climbed out of the car, the smell of the city and a strong breeze swept past her. “How long have I been asleep?” She heard him engage the locks.

“Since before we left Minnesota.” He gave her a one armed hug as they made their way through the garage. “How'd you sleep?”

“Okay.” She was still working on waking up, and she yawned. “We beat the traffic here, right?” 

“Yes, thank god.” Dad answered as they walked through a breezeway, heading into the hospital. “After we see Ben and get our bearings, I want you to find the L route from here to Ben's apartment.”

She nodded, and they came into the main part of the hospital, and dad quickly scanned the directory board, and the followed him down the hall, heading for the ICU, glad that she could recall her cousin's address from memory. “Maybe grandma finally got through to Aunt Leia and she caught the red eye here.” She covered another yawn. Her part of the drive had been from home to halfway into Minnesota, and it had seemed endless.

“I wouldn't count on it, Anna.” Dad replied and pressed the button for the elevator. “Your aunt isn't going to change any time soon. She never wanted Ben out here at De Paul in the first place.” The doors swung open and they got inside. “I never understood what was wrong with that school myself.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Well, I do, but it's complicated. It mainly has to do with the way she and I grew up.” 

“What's that mean? You're nothing like Aunt Leia.” She was going with what she knew; she hadn't seen the woman since she was seven. 

“Well, you know we go to the state fair every year, and every year, there are those kids from places like Mitchell who look down on you and your siblings like you're worthless because you come from a small town rather than a small city?” 

“The kids from Mitchell aren't nearly as bad as the ones from Yankton.” She retorted. “But yeah, I know what you mean.” She shook her head in disgust as the elevator stopped and they got out, now in a terribly beige corridor that ended with security locked doors on either end. On the far end, she could see the words “Maternity” on the door, and they turned towards the others, marked ICU. 

“In the place were we grew up, you either went with the crowd, or were an outsider. I chose to be an outsider. Your aunt went the other way. I never understood that group, even when I frequently encountered them in Bail's house.” He chuckled. “She hated me for calling our stepfather that. But that's who he was to me, he wasn't my dad. Ben chose to be an outsider as well, and Leia can't accept that fact, even now, all these years later. Don't ask me what's wrong with your uncle, because I have no idea what's happening there.” 

“Mom says he's a workaholic who only got married for tax reasons.” She didn't mean to be flippant, but it wasn't like she had a better explanation. 

“I might just believe that myself.” He hit the intercom button. 

“Yes?” A woman's voice answered them. She sounded as tired as Anna felt.

“Yes, my name is Luke Skywalker, I'm here to see my nephew Ben Solo.” He let out a worn sigh as the door buzzed and they went into the ICU. Anna couldn't believe how quiet and dim it was inside. The rooms were in a square around a nurse's station in the center, with curtains drawn behind the glass walls of the pods, all of the doors open. It was horrible. “We need to sign in, honey.” Dad said quietly to her and she signed after him, her fingers shaking slightly. 

The nurse took the clipboard back from them and glanced at it. “Room nine.” She pointed towards the back corner. “If he's asleep, please don't wake him.” 

“We won't.” Dad answered and they went down the narrow path, and Anna tried to keep focused on her dad's back, not looking into the other rooms. The only other person, apart from hospital personnel who were in the hall, was a Marine standing upright outside a room on the far side. Dad pushed the curtain of Ben's room aside and they stepped into the room.

Anna thought this must be a mistake. The thin, wan man lying in the bed wasn't her cousin. An ugly, terrible cut ran down his face, from his forehead, through the bridge of his nose, raced down his cheek and just _ended_ at the bottom of his jaw. Maybe it was the stitches that made it look worse than it was. “Are we sure that's Ben?” She whispered, feeling wretched for saying it.

“Yes, Anna sweetie, it is.” Dad went over to the side of the bed just as her cousin opened his eyes, well, the one he could, wincing. “Good morning, BB.” 

“Hi, Uncle Luke.” Ben coughed and Anna came to stand next to her father. “Hey, Anna.” 

“Hi.” She said in a small voice.

“How you feeling, kid?” Dad brushed a strand of hair out of Ben's face. 

“Sore, worn out and hungry.” He smiled. “At least I'm not cold.” He coughed and winced. “Shit, that hurts.” His one open eye looked over at Anna. “Pretend you didn't hear that.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Please, I'm in high school.” 

“And I once changed your diapers.” Ben retorted, then coughed again, and his face wrinkled with pain each time he did. 

“Still got his sense of humor, he's going to be just fine.” Dad offered, then turned to her. “Anna, I'm going to go talk to the doctors, see if I can find out what all happened. You stay here with Ben, okay?”

“Okay. We won't throw a party while you're gone, don't worry.” She managed a weak grin as he stepped out of the room, then leaned against the railing of Ben's bed. “I'm sorry you got hurt.”

“I'll be fine.” He swallowed, trying to smile. “Did all of you come?”

“No, just me and Dad.” She set her backpack down on the chair and fished out the cards she and her brothers and sisters had made. “They sent you these, though.” She handed the papers to him. 

“That's great.” She tried not to think of how his hands were fumbling, and she didn't know if she should help him or not. “You guys put your sign back up?”

“Not yet. I wouldn't put it past Daisy and Liam to do it sometime when Mom's not watching.” She giggled, and saw him smile at something Elisa had written. “I'd love to go another round with the De Smet Historical Society. We've done some research, since we're possibly on the path that Almanzo Wilder took Laura Ingalls on to and from the Brewster School, it's highly likely that it is true and it was just too scandalous to put in _These Happy Golden Years._ ” 

“You haven't been kissing any boys, have you?” He gave a weak grin and she rolled her eyes. 

“Please. I've known the guys in my class since we were all in kindergarten. There's no one in my class, guys or girls I want to kiss.” She leaned against the railing, watching Ben read the card from Elijah. 

“Good morning!” a cheery voice said from the door and a nurse in bright blue and green scrubs came into the room. “How are we feeling today?”

“Shredded.” Ben replied, and he pushed the cards towards Anna, and she gathered them up as the nurse started checking his vitals. “Hungry.” 

“Well, you can put your order in for breakfast in here in a few, and it'll be here by seven.” She gave a smile towards Anna. “Who are you, dear?” 

“I'm Ben's cousin Anna.” She answered, wondering if there was a class this woman took to make her sound so damn cheerful at this hour of the morning. True, she was used to being up early on the farm, but it usually had a full night's sleep attached. “Can't you tell?” She indicated her dark hair and then his. 

“Her parents picked her.” Ben's voice was flat – that dreaded tone that she hated to hear from him. “Mine got stuck with me.” 

Anna scoffed and folded her arms. “No Ben, you're the one who got stuck with them.” 

*

Liam adjusted his hold on the wire basket full of eggs he was carrying, his mind more on breakfast than anything else. When they had all gotten up at quarter to five, they'd had cold cereal and tea (mom and dad wouldn't let him or siblings drink coffee) and headed out for morning chores. They would have a more substantial breakfast around nine. He opened the door to the mudroom, and he could hear Daisy shuffling around in the kitchen. She was the only one of the five of them who actually had no issues with cooking meals constantly. “Egg delivery.” He called and then saw his sister look in at him. 

“Thanks.” She came over and took the basket. “Dad hasn't called yet.” 

He nodded, rubbing his eyes. “What's today's egg du jour?”

“Sunny side up.” She answered, grinning. “And hash brown casserole.” 

“Yum.” He glanced at his watch; it was quarter to eight. “Have I mentioned today how glad I am that we don't have pigs?”

“Pigs are more trouble than they're worth.” She answered, and went back into the kitchen. “Breakfast should be ready at ten after nine.” 

“Thanks.” He called and went back outside, heading for the barn. When he'd first come to live out here, he hadn't been surprised that there would be work for him to do. What had surprised him were the pleases, the thank yous, and the offers to help with what tasks he had. The other four kids were so used to it, and he still had trouble believing all of this was real. Little boys from the projects of Sioux Falls did not end up on a farm with a family that gave a damn. 

He wasn't supposed to say damn. 

Most people in Chicago would be shocked to find out that Sioux Falls actually _had_ a bad part of the city. When you stopped and looked at it from a logical point of view, a city that no one knew how to find on a map (he even doubted half of those _Supernatural_ fans could actually find it) and seemed to be what could pass for 'quaint' to people from major urban centers like Chicago, Minneapolis and he supposed even Omaha could be considered thus, Sioux Falls was actually a major crossroads in drug trafficking. Everyone knew it, and at the same time pretended like they didn't know it.

Much like the way if a house blew up and one person was killed, it wasn't a tragedy, it one less meth lab. 

He shouldered the pitchfork as he came into the barn, glad that the cows had been turned out to pasture for the summer, leaving only the horses. “Eli, you in here?” 

“Yeah.” His little sister called, and she appeared outside of Penny's stall. “Mom's out checking the crops and Elijah went to check the cows.” 

He nodded and opened the next stall, and Melbourne, another rescued horse, turned to look at him. “Yeah, I know, I'm not Anna.” He set the pitchfork against the door and then pulled the lead off the hook next to the door. “You want me to take Penny also?” He stepped back as the horse reared. “Sh... calm down.” He held his hands out, placating the horse.

“Sure.” His sister answered. “I can't reach the walking track beams.”

“Anna's not that much taller than you.” He hooked the lead on and gave a low whistle to Melbourne, and the horse stepped forward, following him.

“Yeah, but she's tall enough.” she called and then came down the corridor, leading Penny. “At least all the horses like each other.” A loud whinny came from the end of the barn. “Speaking of temperamental animals.” She shook her head. “I'll bring Darcy out.” 

“Thanks.” He clucked at the pair with him and headed out into the early June morning.


End file.
